It kinda went under the radar, but yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of the Touhoku Earthquake. According to the latest official report published yesterday, 2633 people are still considered missing, with 6148 injured and 15884 deaths.

Something I didn't realize before is that there are still major aftershocks of this earthquake. I only learned that because me and Berry actually experienced one, coincidentally on the first night of our trip to Japan last year on October 26th.

My tentative plan is to go to Japan next spring (pending approval from my retirement counselor). Hopefully before the next big event happens.

Not really news, but April 8th marks the 28th anniversary of Yukiko Okada's suicide. She was a budding popular idol singer, having debuted only 2 years earlier. Here's a video of her performing her first single, First Date:

Not really news, but April 8th marks the 28th anniversary of Yukiko Okada's suicide. She was a budding popular idol singer, having debuted only 2 years earlier. Here's a video of her performing her first single, First Date:

Of all the idiotic things the Biebs has done, honestly this seems like something that could happen to anyone who has the attitude of 'oh look a cool thing lets take a picture'. I doubt it was something political, because he doesn't have the brains to execute something like that.

Oh my god! Can people not accept that there is nothing wrong with idols? They chose to be idols, knowing fully what they were doing. They are making money off of it, they signed up for it. Its no different in the west. All around the world, sexuality is "exploited". I wish they would stop blaming others and take a look at themselves. The western world is just as bad with using the scheme "sex sells". They also need to realize that the culture is different. You can't judge another culture based on tour own. You can only judge a culture against itself, so they need give it a rest already, even though it wont happen.

I know what you are saying, Star, but child porn is child porn. It's wrong. It's definitely my least favorite thing about idol culture. These young girls might not realize what they are signing up for. I think the blame should mostly laid at the feet of the companies that make millions exploiting them. They know sex sells. And they take full advantage of it. Just like you said.

I never even heard of Haruka Shimazaki, the AKB member recruited to serve as poster girl for today's Japanese military. But the article says she's popular.

Not cawai enough for me to join.

I always find it disgusting when idols do this military propaganda shit. It's far worse in SK, where nearly ever group at some point seemingly has to either do some official PR or at least some propaganda disguised as "cute military drills with clumsy idols, hey it's all just playful and fun in the military !" on TV shows.

I thought this was newsworthy enough to post it here in addition to the BABYMETAL Thread. Even if it's a short and hardly in-depth interview I feel getting recognition from an official body does mean a lot, especially for such a young act. I don't know if MM or AKB have been honoured in a similar way during their respective trips to Europe, but I like to think that BABYMETAL are seen as ambassadors of Japan in the world, whereas MM and AKB were more of ambassadors of Japan in Japan... if that makes any sense.

I always find it disgusting when idols do this military propaganda shit. It's far worse in SK, where nearly ever group at some point seemingly has to either do some official PR or at least some propaganda disguised as "cute military drills with clumsy idols, hey it's all just playful and fun in the military !" on TV shows.

The first headline I saw about this (not on BBC) didn't even mention Japan and my first thought was about Nevada-tan. And lo and behold, it not only happened in Japan, but in the very same Sasebo city too.

Its interesting seeing an article about AKB48 that's marketed towards americans that isn't dissing AKB48 in the process. Articles I've seen in the past usually mention Heavy Rotation or another controversial song.

She was a Japanese actress, born in China, with a fascinating history behind her. I know her from her few Hollywood films, most notably HOUSE OF BAMBOO (1955), and the one Japanese film of hers I've seen, MADAME WHITE SNAKE (1956). I believe she was one of the inspirations for the main character in Satoshi Kon's animated drama, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS (2001), although I've never heard her cited that way. Under the guise of being a Chinese actress, she starred in Japanese films made as propaganda during Japan's occupation of China. The main character in MILLENNIUM ACTRESS starts out that way also. In real life, Yamaguchi was almost executed for treason in China after the war until she was able to prove her Japanese ancestry and sent back to Japan.

Now that you mention it, I've never actually seen her cited as an inspiration for that film. I just assumed it since the character in MA started out as a teenage girl playing in Japanese propaganda movies shot in Manchuria, just like Yamaguchi did. I went back and added a qualifier to my post.

Detailing opposition by the "Net Right" to efforts by Japanese villages to commemorate Koreans who died from forced labor in Japan during the war. One a-hole even insists: “If Koreans were involved in the construction of the airfield, they came of their own free will.”

Also in the Times today is another piece on the sins of the war, this time on the Yasukuni War Shrine and an attempt--by conservatives!--to remove the 14 war criminals from the shrine and thus eliminate the stigma the shrine has.

"The third point notes Japan and China acknowledge they have different views on tensions over the Senkaku Islands and surrounding areas in the East China Sea in recent years.
It says they agreed to prevent the situation from worsening through dialogue and consultation. They also agreed to create crisis management mechanisms to avoid any escalation of tension."

Ironically, it was Xinhua that called out to Japan for "thinking of the Chinese people":